A colleague recently asked for assistance with opening a particular document, which was created using Microsoft Works. Microsoft Works had a long run as a lower-cost alternative to Microsoft’s Office for Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS, and was available in one version or another for about twenty years between 1988 and 2008. As a consequence, a number of older PCs still have it installed and Mac users will occasionally receive Works documents. Unfortunately, Microsoft Works was not ported to the Mac so it can be difficult to open these files.
Jan 08, 2012 This video is going to show you how to open Microsoft office documents on your mac for free. This application is also available for Windows here is the link to the website. Microsoft AutoUpdate makes sure your copy of Office will always be up-to-date with the latest security fixes and improvements. If you are an Office 365 subscriber, you'll also receive the newest features and tools. Open the Mac App Store from your Dock or Finder. Click Updates on. Open a Mac app from an unidentified developer. If you try to open an app that isn’t registered with Apple by an identified developer, you get a warning dialog. This doesn’t necessarily mean that something’s wrong with the app. For example, some apps were written before developer ID registration began.
After talking with my colleague and researching this issue, I found two ways (one is free, the other is using a paid application) to open Microsoft Works files. For more details, see below the jump.
The non-free way is to use Works Document Viewer for Mac. This is an application which allows Works documents to be opened for viewing and also converted to another format. It’s available on the Mac App Store via the link below:
The free way leverages the Zamzar.com file conversion site. See below for the procedure to use:
Open Applications Folder Mac
1. Change the document’s file extension from .wps to .doc.
2. Open a web browser and go to the following site: http://www.zamzar.com
3. Select the Works document.
4. Select the format you want to convert the document to.
5. Enter a convenient email address where Zamzar can email you about the converted file.
6. When all is set as desired, click the Convert button.
7. Zamzar will convert the Works file to the desired format and email you a download link.
8. Once downloaded, you should be able to open the Works document.
The safest place to get apps for your Mac is the App Store. Apple reviews each app in the App Store before it’s accepted and signs it to ensure that it hasn’t been tampered with or altered. If there’s ever a problem with an app, Apple can quickly remove it from the store.
If you download and install apps from the internet or directly from a developer, macOS continues to protect your Mac. When you install Mac apps, plug-ins, and installer packages from outside the App Store, macOS checks the Developer ID signature to verify that the software is from an identified developer and that it has not been altered. By default, macOS Catalina also requires software to be notarized, so you can be confident that the software you run on your Mac doesn't contain known malware. Before opening downloaded software for the first time, macOS requests your approval to make sure you aren’t misled into running software you didn’t expect.
Running software that hasn’t been signed and notarized may expose your computer and personal information to malware that can harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.
View the app security settings on your Mac
By default, the security and privacy preferences of your Mac are set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers. For additional security, you can chose to allow only apps from the App Store.
In System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click General. Click the lock and enter your password to make changes. Select App Store under the header “Allow apps downloaded from.”
Open a developer-signed or notarized app
If your Mac is set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers, the first time that you launch a new app, your Mac asks if you’re sure you want to open it.
An app that has been notarized by Apple indicates that Apple checked it for malicious software and none was detected:
Prior to macOS Catalina, opening an app that hasn't been notarized shows a yellow warning icon and asks if you're sure you want to open it:
If you see a warning message and can’t install an app
If you have set your Mac to allow apps only from the App Store and you try to install an app from elsewhere, your Mac will say that the app can't be opened because it was not downloaded from the App Store.*
If your Mac is set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers, and you try to install an app that isn’t signed by an identified developer or—in macOS Catalina—notarized by Apple, you also see a warning that the app cannot be opened.
If you see this warning, it means that the app was not notarized, and Apple could not scan the app for known malicious software.
You may want to look for an updated version of the app in the App Store or look for an alternative app.
If macOS detects a malicious app
If macOS detects that an app has malicious content, it will notify you when you try to open it and ask you to move it to the Trash.
How to open an app that hasn’t been notarized or is from an unidentified developer
Running software that hasn’t been signed and notarized may expose your computer and personal information to malware that can harm your Mac or compromise your privacy. If you’re certain that an app you want to install is from a trustworthy source and hasn’t been tampered with, you can temporarily override your Mac security settings to open it.
Microsoft Office For Mac Os
In macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave, when an app fails to install because it hasn’t been notarized or is from an unidentified developer, it will appear in System Preferences > Security & Privacy, under the General tab. Click Open Anyway to confirm your intent to open or install the app.
Open Microsoft Application On Mac Download
The warning prompt reappears, and you can click Open.*
Open Office Free For Mac
The app is now saved as an exception to your security settings, and you can open it in the future by double-clicking it, just as you can any authorized app.
Microsoft Office
*If you're prompted to open Finder: control-click the app in Finder, choose Open from the menu, and then click Open in the dialog that appears. Enter your admin name and password to open the app.